Millions of people visit emergency departments (ED) and intensive care units (ICU) every year. The demand for ED and ICU services are projected to grow rapidly during the next decade as the growth in the elderly population increases. The ability of critically ill patients to receive adequate care depends upon a number of factors, including the availability of highly trained health care professionals and an adequate budget to compensate such professionals. Over the years, many hospitals have reduced budgets for various departments. Therefore, many of the EDs and ICUs do not have sufficient funds to hire an adequate number of professionals to address the needs of such ED and ICU patients. Consequently, many EDs and ICUs are understaffed.
In the ED or ICU, patients present a myriad of symptoms or abnormalities, many of which are associated with several common, yet serious conditions. Unless these conditions are properly identified and addressed in a timely manner, the conditions could quickly result in a patient's death. Surprisingly, many ED and ICU and health care professionals fail to identify these conditions despite the professional's experience and background. Acute lung injury and sepsis are examples of conditions that routinely go undiagnosed. The health care professional shortage and inadequate hospital electronic systems are the primary reasons for such breakdowns.
It would thus be advantageous to provide systems and methods that will overcome the problems described above.